2016 Pflueger® Medalist Fly Reel

[onemississipp]

Anyone got the skinny on these or plan to order one in January?

Looking for a line holder for a new echo glass 4 wt..

Pflueger® Medalist Fly Reel | Pflueger®

---------- Post added at 08:50 PM ---------- Previous post was at 08:48 PM ----------

Pics from Fiberglass Manifesto

 

[dragon11]

I have a friend who swears my medalist reels. He's had one for as long as I can remember and it's pretty much all he fishes with. He was complaining the other day about them not being made anymore?

If this is true, and their going to start making them again, that will be good news for him. I'm interested in hearing what others say about it. I would be interested myself.

 

[onemississipp]

Ed, I'm thinking modern glass and modern medalist would make a great combo. The reel would match well to the echo I think.

 

[glacierjohn]

Ed, I'm thinking modern glass and modern medalist would make a great combo. The reel would match well to the echo I think.

I have a new Sweetgrass Mantra bamboo rod that would look classic paired up with that reel.

 

[moucheur2003]

Looks like a minor cosmetic tweak to the Red Truck Diesel reel to make it look more like a Medalist and less like a Hardy. Same basic idea of machined barstock constuction, palming rim, and Hardy Lightweight spring/pawl mechanism. Lower price point.

Red Truck Diesel Fly Reel 5/6 Weight

 

[sweetandsalt]

Glacier, Please find an older Hardy Lightweight instead; an LRH or Princess depending. Also, the 1st gen., Hardy built, SA "System" is a fine reel of that era, actually a Hardy Marquis version.

 

[onemississipp]

"Old-school Medalist were made of cast aluminum. Strong, but not nearly as strong as the new barstock aluminum models. Perhaps most appealing to the click-and-pawl fanatic is that the guts are all metal, and modeled after Hardy internals. In fact, the only plastic on the reel is the vintage yellow handle. As for other modern upgrades like new-age drag control or brakes, you won't find them. Pflueger knew what they had was good and trusted, and changed nothing but the quality. The new Medalists will be available in 3/4-, 5/6-, and 7/8-weight, and will retail for between $120 and $140. More than the last Medalist you bought? Yes. More than some other high-end click-and-pawls on the market? Not even close."

Reintroducing Your Great Grandpa's Pflueger Medalist | Field & Stream

 

[rockriver]

Where are they made?

 

[onemississipp]

China - just got off the phone with them.

Good news is the guy that answered the phone is American made (well, I really can't confirm that, didn't speak with his parents)!

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My Echo is made in Asia - the Pflueger guy should have said that instead of China. It sounds better doesn't it?

Asia

 

[itchmesir]

The design has grown on me. But the price will still keep me away. What's next? Martin rehashing their tuna can reels and selling them for $100. "better aluminum"

 

[onemississipp]

I'm hoping the price will be below $100.00..

I like the idea of the new tuna can!

 

[itchmesir]

China - just got off the phone with them.

Good news is the guy that answered the phone is American made (well, I really can't confirm that, didn't speak with his parents)!

---------- Post added at 10:14 AM ---------- Previous post was at 10:02 AM ----------

My Echo is made in Asia - the Pflueger guy should have said that instead of China. It sounds better doesn't it?

Asia

They built the Great Wall and they still make some great fly fishing gear... So I'm not complaining. Can't knock another country for wanting to have viable economy.

 

[Rip Tide]

The design has grown on me. But the price will still keep me away. What's next? Martin rehashing their tuna can reels and selling them for $100. "better aluminum"

I actually looked at the Pflueger website just yesterday to see if the new Medalists were on sale yet (not that I plan on buying one)
They also have a new "Martin-looking" reel, the Monarch, which probably would be more my style.... if I was ever in the market for an "inexperienced" click (which I'm not )

 

[sweetandsalt]

I haven't fished a Pflueger Medalist (original, Akron Ohio made) in many years. They're too clunky for the modern graphite rods I fish and their concave reel foot fails to fit many contemporary reels seats. However, I am confident I could take an old mid size Medalist and crush this new $140 "Pflueger" flat and it would not be impacted at all...get a scratch?..well, every Medalist I have in storage somewhere is scratched already. Also a mid size Medalist of yore has a spring loaded polymer break shoe that actually generated drag pressure, not a mere spring and pawl, click check. I know, I know, Pure likes to buy grand brand names, build not necessarily related products in "Asia" and market them, in this case, as improved retro cool. I would simply call it (a la Sienfeld), "Fake, fake and faker".

An authentic spring and pawl Medalist (This is not it, but is identical to the very first fly reel I ever owned. My first one is in far better condition).

 

[itchmesir]

Well since Pure Fishing owns Hardy it only makes sense every retro reel now comes equipped with the hardy style click n pawl... This is my biggest gripe about the new medalist... The old drag plate design worked/works well... Adds more drag than a click n pawl but nothing over the top like today's disc drag...Pure Fishing should've just done the market research... Aka check the used market... No one has an issue with how medalist have been built for the past 40+ years...

---------- Post added at 01:18 PM ---------- Previous post was at 01:16 PM ----------

I actually looked at the Pflueger website just yesterday to see if the new Medalists were on sale yet (not that I plan on buying one)
They also have a new "Martin-looking" reel, the Monarch, which probably would be more my style.... if I was ever in the market for an "inexperienced" click (which I'm not )

Looks more like any genetic ventilated reel that's been produced since the 70s

 

[onemississipp]

It would have been nice to do a full retro of the reels old drag system...But I guess it's cheaper to outfit all these style reels with the same drag system..Wonder if this (medalist) and the Hardy's are made in same factory.

 

[fredaevans]

I have a friend who swears my medalist reels. He's had one for as long as I can remember and it's pretty much all he fishes with. He was complaining the other day about them not being made anymore?

If this is true, and their going to start making them again, that will be good news for him. I'm interested in hearing what others say about it. I would be interested myself.

Great Post! I'm IN!

If you're in your 60's or 70's this was probably your first fly reel; things are INDUSTRUCTABLE! Well, I did lay one of my rods down (on the ground as I was taking my waders off), behind the car, drove over the poor thing. Didn't do the rod any good either.

Next really stupid thing was putting the rod/reel on top of the car .... one guess ... ya, I forgot. Hear the 'scraaaaaape' and AH ZNGKJEA; Guy behind me couldn't react fast enough.

 

[moucheur2003]

I actually looked at the Pflueger website just yesterday to see if the new Medalists were on sale yet (not that I plan on buying one)
They also have a new "Martin-looking" reel, the Monarch, which probably would be more my style.... if I was ever in the market for an "inexperienced" click (which I'm not )

Looks like the same reel that was sold pre-merger as the Greys G series (and that was also sold before Albright died as the Albright Topwater). In the Greys (and Albright) models, the 3/4 size had a click check while the 5/6 and 7/8 sizes had disc drags.

 

[onemississipp]

Great Post! I'm IN!

I decided, I'm in too! I have drank and then puked more money than that more than once! And in Asia no less!:thumbsupu

 

[fredaevans]

Looks like the same reel that was sold pre-merger as the Greys G series (and that was also sold before Albright died as the Albright Topwater). In the Greys (and Albright) models, the 3/4 size had a click check while the 5/6 and 7/8 sizes had disc drags.

Greys G-Series Fly Reel

Sure does look like a 'dead ringer' doesn't it?:secret:

fae